z-wave dimmers and cfls

[jmfree]

Hello, I am installing a elk m1g in my house and I am deciding which light control system to go with. It is looking like the vizia system is getting positive reviews and I started to research the units. I noticed that some of the units will work with dimmable fluorescent lights but they are not compact fluorescent lights (instead they are dedicated systems I have never heard of such as Hi-lume, Eco-10, Mark 10). Does anybody have experience with these systems? I know that I can use on/off switches for CFLs, but I would love to have workable z-wave dimmers with CFLs. I think the energy savings of CFLs is worth finding a good solution. Thanks for any thoughts.

John Freeman, Memphis, TN

 

[Madcodger]

I don't use Z-Wave (Insteon instead) but I started a thread on the Homeseer board about CFLs. One of the fellows there reports good results with Z Wave and dimmable fluorescents. You might be able to send him an email / private message on that board, if you register there (or if his profile is public). Here's the link to that thread / page on the HS board.

http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=118198&page=4

Hope the Cocoontech folks don't mind this post. I've never thought of the boards as "competing".

 

[jmfree]

Thanks for the information and the reference. I have now used vizia rf dimmers with Phillips dimmable cfl and they seem to work fine. There is no flickering or obvious buzzing or heat issues. These same dimmers with non-dimmable cfl did cause very rapid flickering and buzzing of the lamps. The pamphlets with the dimmers did state that they are not to be used with cfls and there also have a minimum watt rating that interestingly is above the claimed watt usage of the phillips dimmable cfl. So from an operational practical point of view, these dimmers seem to work well with the dimmable cfls (they even seem to dim normally). I wish the dimmer switches would give "official'' OK to use with dimmable CFLs.
Thanks for you help.
John Freeman
Memphis, TN